My wife and I sipped hot toddies and helped the bartender cut out paper snowflakes to paste on the windows — ah, yes, another Christmas Day memory from New Orleans!

Matthew Hinton / The Times-PicayuneFor the first time, Celebration in the Oaks will be open on Christmas day.

That Kodak moment occurred at Pal’s Lounge — our favorite Mid-City tavern — but over the years we’ve discovered lots of fun things to do when we can’t make the 3,000-mile round trip to spend the holidays with family.

For those on the loose, Christmas is a day to try something different. I’m not much of a gambler or a moviegoer, for example, but I’ve learned that both casinos and theaters are brimful of cheery customers on Dec. 25. If I’m feeling athletic, there’s nothing like a brisk walk through the French Quarter to check out holiday decorations. This year, I might even go to City Park for Celebration in the Oaks, since that lollapalooza light display is going to be open on Christmas Day for the first time.

“Christmas is a long day — and people like to mix things up, even if they’re spending part of the time with family,” said LuAnn Pappas, vice president of marketing for Harrah’s New Orleans. “We try to make the mood in the casino an extension of the festive feeling you find everywhere in New Orleans. And it’s not hard to do it. Employees look forward to working that day. It’s not some unpleasant obligation. In fact, this year, they’ve requested to wear Santa caps. They want to be in the spirit along with our customers.”

At Pal’s Lounge, 949 N. Rendon St., the staff doesn’t stop with Santa caps. The hipster-infused neighborhood joint is expecting a bartender to show up in a Santa suit this year — one made from blue and gold fur, which matches the bar logo, go-cups and decor.

Still, the big attraction at Pal’s is the fellowship and the food, said co-owner Suzanne Accorsi, who describes the annual gathering as “a potluck Christmas without obligations.”

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“This has been a neighborhood, word-of-mouth thing — one that brings in regulars and draws a lot of new customers who find themselves without family on Christmas,” Accorsi said.

Accorsi notes that Christmas is a pretty big day for a lot of bars, but, in most cases, the crowds don’t come until evening. Pal’s opens at 3 p.m. with a free feast — and a cash bar. The staff roasts a turkey and a big ham, adds traditional trimmings and supplements the main courses with potluck offerings from customers. Big windows let in plenty of daylight, and the Christmas decor, which includes poinsettias atop the video poker machines, is cheery.

Gift-giving also is part of the mix at this neighborhood joint.

“All year long, we stash promotional stuff — glassware, T-shirts — and we hand it out at the party,” Accorsi said. “The vibe is festive — one of the best days of the year around here.”